Renewable energy microgeneration system

ABSTRACT

A renewable energy microgeneration system is disclosed. The system includes a portable processing container with a mixing tank for mixing waste with a liquid, a macerating pump in fluid communication with the mixing tank that is configured to macerate the waste into smaller pieces, a plurality of small holding tanks in fluid communication with the mixing tank that are configured to perform at least one of a pasteurization thermophilic anaerobic digestion on the waste, a large holding tank in fluid communication with the plurality of small holding tanks that is configured to perform mesophilic anaerobic digestion on the waste after at least one of a pasteurization thermophilic anaerobic digestion is performed on the waste, and a de-watering unit in fluid communication with the large holding tank that is configured to dry what remains of the waste after mesophilic anaerobic digestion is performed on the waste; a controller for automating the flow of the waste between the mixing tank, the plurality of small holding tanks, the large holding tank, and the de-watering unit such that a user does not need to complete any tasks for performing mesophilic anaerobic digestion after the waste is loaded into the mixing tank; and a portable gas storage container comprising a gas storage tank that is configured to store biogas generated by the mesophilic anaerobic digestion, wherein the portable processing container and the portable gas storage container are configured to be transported to a site and placed in fluid communication with each other so the gas storage tank can store biogas generated by mesophilic anaerobic digestion in the processing container at the site.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/323,186, filed Apr. 12, 2010, and U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/348,689, filed Mary 26, 2010, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated in their entirety by reference as if fully set forth herein.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an improved method and device for providing renewable energy and making users less dependent on local utility providers by recycling their organic waste onsite. More particularly, the present invention relates to improvements to an anaerobic digester that allows users to convert organic waste into sustainable energy.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There is a need in the art for a renewable energy microgeneration system in a single, modular, portable configuration that will allow users to convert organic waste into sustainable energy onsite. There is also a need in the art for a renewable energy microgeneration system with a reduced footprint, with separate containers for its different components, with modular interconnectivity between those containers, and with increased throughput.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To address at least the problems and/or disadvantages described above, it is a non-limiting object of the present invention to provide a renewable energy microgeneration system. The renewable energy microgeneration system includes a portable processing container with a mixing tank for mixing waste with a liquid, a macerating pump in fluid communication with the mixing tank that is configured to macerate the waste into smaller pieces, a plurality of small holding tanks in fluid communication with the mixing tank that are configured to perform at least one of a pasteurization thermophilic anaerobic digestion on the waste, a large holding tank in fluid communication with the plurality of small holding tanks that is configured to perform mesophilic anaerobic digestion on the waste after at least one of a pasteurization thermophilic anaerobic digestion is performed on the waste, and a de-watering unit in fluid communication with the large holding tank that is configured to dry what remains of the waste after mesophilic anaerobic digestion is performed on the waste; a controller for automating the flow of the waste between the mixing tank, the plurality of small holding tanks, the large holding tank, and the de-watering unit such that a user does not need to complete any tasks for performing mesophilic anaerobic digestion after the waste is loaded into the mixing tank; and a portable gas storage container comprising a gas storage tank that is configured to store biogas generated by the mesophilic anaerobic digestion, wherein the portable processing container and the portable gas storage container are configured to be transported to a site and placed in fluid communication with each other so the gas storage tank can store biogas generated by mesophilic anaerobic digestion in the processing container at the site. Those and other objects, advantages, and features of the present invention will become more readily apparent by the following written description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Aspects of the present invention can be better understood with reference to the following drawings, which are part of the specification and represent preferred embodiments of the present invention:

FIG. 1A is an isometric view that illustrates an example of an apparatus for renewable energy microgeneration according to a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 1B is an isometric view that illustrates the apparatus of FIG. 1A with the containers and compressor enclosure removed;

FIG. 1C is a plan view that illustrates the apparatus of FIG. 1B;

FIG. 1D is an elevation view that illustrates the apparatus of FIG. 1C;

FIG. 1E is a schematic diagram of the apparatus of FIGS. 1A-1CD

FIG. 2 is an isometric view that illustrates a chopper unit according to a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an isometric view that illustrates a de-watering unit according to a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is schematic diagram that illustrates a controller according to a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is an isometric cutaway view that illustrates a gas storage tank according to a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is schematic diagram that illustrates water and waste piping according to a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is schematic diagram that illustrates gas piping according to a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 8 is schematic diagram that illustrates a 6-ton per day configuration of the present invention.

The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art discussed above and offers at least the advantages discussed below by providing a renewable energy microgeneration system in a single, modular, portable configuration that allows users to convert organic waste into sustainable energy onsite. Moreover, it provides a portable renewable energy microgeneration system with a reduced footprint, with modular components and component groupings, and with increased throughput. Accordingly, it can be sized to suit a specific user's needs and can be installed and connected to conventional power systems so that, within a matter of weeks (or hours if the system pre-seeded with live digestate), a user can create his or her own energy for heating, hot water, and/or general electricity needs.

In more detail, the components of the renewable energy microgeneration system work together to perform an anaerobic digestion process that generates heat, electricity, biogas, and fertilizers from what would otherwise be considered “waste.” Through its unique configuration, the present invention is able to provide all of the components needed to complete that process in one or more self-contained shipping containers, thereby providing a portable system that can be conveniently connected to a wide variety of structures (e.g., homes, industrial buildings, and outdoor facilities). Moreover, its mobility makes it practical for a wide variety of applications, such as providing power in remote villages, at remote cellular towers, and in war zones or disaster relief areas where waste is plentiful and power and/or heat are in high demand.

In addition to providing power and heat, the renewable energy microgeneration system of the present invention also provides a “green” solution to waste management, maximizing the amount of useful energy that can be harnessed from organic materials. It effectively eliminates the costs of waste removal by providing the user with a close, convenient place to dispose of his or her waste. It also helps eliminate runoff pollution. And, in addition to allowing the user to recycle his or her organic waste onsite, the renewable energy microgeneration system of the present invention also reduces pollution by making the user less dependent on utility companies that generate pollution with their various methods of energy production. Moreover, it reduces carbon emissions from waste transport to a centralized processing facility, such as a dump or a larger-scale anaerobic digestion system.

Those and other advantages provided by the present invention can be better understood from the description of the preferred embodiments below and in the accompanying drawings. In describing the preferred embodiments, specific terminology is resorted to for the sake of clarity. However, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the specific terminology so selected, and it is to be understood that each specific term includes all technical equivalents that operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose.

A. Apparatus for Renewable Energy Microgeneration

Turning to the drawings, FIGS. 1A-1D provide various views of an exemplary apparatus for renewable energy microgeneration 100 (hereinafter “the REM apparatus 100”) according to a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1E provides a schematic diagram of the REM apparatus 100 according to a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention. That REM apparatus 100 includes a first container 102 and a second container 104 that provide portable enclosures that house the various components 106-128 of the REM apparatus 100. The first container 102 houses a chopper unit 106, a buffer tank 108, two small holding tanks 110, a large holding tank 112, a de-watering unit 114, a gas scrubber 116, and an electronic control unit (ECU) 118. And the second container 104 houses a gas storage tank 120. The REM apparatus 100 also includes biogas engine 122 disposed adjacent to the second container 104; a flare 124 disposed on the outside of the first container 102; a liquor tank 126 disposed adjacent to the first container 102; a compressor 128 disposed in a compressor enclosure 130 adjacent to the first container 102; and various pumps 132A-132D, valves 134A-134C, piping 136A-136C, and wiring connections 138 for functionally tying those components 106-128 together. The components 106-128 provided in, on, and adjacent to those containers 102 and 104 work together to perform an anaerobic digestion process that generates heat, electricity, biogas, and fertilizers from waste/muck in a mobile, modular renewable energy microgeneration system.

The chopper unit 106 is where muck/waste deposits are loaded into the REM apparatus 100 and it functions to mix that the muck/waste loaded into the REM apparatus 100 and to mix it with liquid (e.g., potable and/or grey water). The buffer tank 108 functions to store and pre-warm the water/muck/waste mixture produced with the chopper unit 106. The small holding tanks 110 function to pasteurize the pre-heated water/muck/waste mixture produced with the buffer tank 108 or, when pasteurization is not required for the overall anaerobic digestion process, to partially digest that pre-heated water/muck/waste mixture via thermophilic anaerobic digestion. The large holding tank 112 functions to produce mesophilic anaerobic digestion with the partially pasteurized or digested water/muck/waste mixture produced with small holding tanks 110. The de-watering unit 114 functions to remove liquids from what remains of the water/muck/waste after anaerobic digestion is completed in the small holding tanks 110 and/or the large holding tank 112. The gas scrubber 116 functions to clean the biogas produced during thermophilic and/or mesophilic anaerobic digestion in the small holding tanks 110 and/or the large holding tank 112, respectively. The gas storage tank 120 functions to store the cleaned biogas produced with the gas scrubber 116. The biogas engine 122 functions to simultaneously generate electricity and heat from the cleaned biogas stored in the gas storage tank 120. The ECU 118 functions to control the flow of liquid, muck/waste, water/muck/waste, and biogas through the REM apparatus 100 as required to generate heat, electricity, biogas, and fertilizers in a continuous, regenerative cycle. The flare 124 functions to safely burn surplus biogas. And the compressor 128 functions to generate compressed air for stirring the water/muck/waste mixture in the small holding tanks 110. The containers 102 and 104 and each of those components 106-128 are addressed separately below.

i. Containers 102 and 104

To enable the REM apparatus 100 to be transported as modular units to substantially any location, the containers 102 and 104 that house the various components 106-128 of the REM apparatus 100 are configured to comply with the size and weight requirements of the relevant highway regulatory and governmental agencies. In FIG. 1A, for example, the first container 102 (shown with top removed) is a standard 40-foot “High Cube” shipping container (40 ft×8 ft×9.5 ft; Payload: 60,350 lbs; Capacity: 2,376 ft³) and the second container 104 (also shown with top removed) is a standard 20-foot shipping container (Dimensions: 19.8 ft×8 ft×8.5 ft; Payload: 48,600 lbs; Capacity: 1,164 ft³). Such containers are specifically designed to be handled by ship-to-shore gantry cranes, to be stacked and stored on a container ship, and to be attached to a container transport trailer, thereby making those containers 102 and 104 particularly suited for commercial land and sea transport. Those containers 102 and 104 are also particularly suited for military air transport using certain military aircraft, such as Sikorsky SKYCRANE brand helicopter and the Lockheed C-130 HERCULES brand airplane. Other standard containers may also be used (e.g., 45-foot and 30-foot containers)

a. Base

The first container 102 includes a concrete base that houses some of the piping 136A-136C that interconnects the components 106-128 of the REM apparatus 100. In manufacture, that piping 136B and 136C is assembled using a jig to ensure that all the components 106-114 can be positioned correctly in a repeatable, modular manner. The jig is manufactured using an inverse profile of those components 106-114. A straw-based concrete is preferably used to form the base of the container 102 because it is a sustainable material that provides a certain degree of flexibility within the concrete base.

The concrete base is designed to support the various components 106-114 in the first container 102 by following the profile of the tank bases. That configuration not only provides stability along with the exterior walls that hold the tanks in place, it also braces those components 106-114 so as to ensure the pipe fittings will not shear in transport. Those components 106-114 may be further braced within the container 102 with insulation designed to fit tightly between those specific components 106-114 and the container 102. In the alternative, the base of the first container 102 may include a metal framework to create strength and allow for glide entry of the components 106-114 into the first container 102.

b. Facia 140 and Loading Platform 142

The first container 102 also includes facia 140 and a loading platform 142 at one end of for use in loading muck/waste into the chopper unit 106 and for unloading fertilizer output by the de-watering unit 114. The facia 140 includes a door 144 that can be opened to allow users access to the various components 106-114 housed therein. The first container 102 also includes a pair of external double doors 146 at the same end of the first container 102 as the facia 140. Although those doors 144 are not shown on the first container 102 for purposes of clarity, they are clearly shown on the second container 104. Those doors 146 are of the type typically found on a conventional 40-foot or 20-foot shipping container.

The facia 140 provides protection to the user from the components 106-114 housed in the first container 102. And the door 144 provides access for maintenance and safety checks to be performed on those components 106-114. The facia 140 may also include access panels (not shown) for accessing parts on the far sides of the components 106 and 114 that are disposed adjacent to the facia 140 so as to provide the maximum amount of access and maneuverability to users that need to perform maintenance and/or safety checks on those components 106 and 114.

The loading platform 142 is configured allow muck/waste to be loaded into the chopper unit 106 and to allow solid waste (e.g., mulch) to be transported away from the de-watering unit 114 using a wheelbarrow or other comparable wheeled transport device. The loading platform 142 is also configured to fold up between the facia 140 and the pair of double doors 146 so it can be stowed away during transport of the first container 102. A control box 148 for operating and monitoring the REM apparatus 100 via the functionality of the ECU 118 is also provided on the facia 140 and will be folded up behind the double doors 146 of the second container 102 during transport. Emergency stop and full shut offs are also located on the facia 140. Because there should not be a need to access the gas storage tank 120 after the REM apparatus is placed into operation (other than routine maintenance and safety checks) that component 120 preferably remains secured behind the double doors 146 of the second container 104 during transport and during operation of the REM apparatus 100.

The loading platform 142 is strong enough to support significantly more weight than that of the user so large amounts of muck/waste can be loaded into the anaerobic digester at one time. A ramp 150 is also be provided with the loading platform 142 to allow wheeled transport devices, such a wheelbarrows, to be easily moved to and from the top of the loading platform 142. The ramp 150 is constructed from standard square tubes, welded together with mesh spot welds on the top, which provides a tractable surface for all weather conditions. The ramp 150 is removably attached to the loading platform 142 using angled hooks that clip into a corresponding receiver on the loading platform 142, which allows users, such as horse yards, to remove the ramp 150 and use their existing ramps in its place. The loading platform 142 and ramp 150 are preferably made from galvanized steel to protect them from the elements and to reduce manufacturing costs. And the legs of the platform 142 and ramp 150 are preferably adjustable according to different terrain to provide maximum stability, such as on uneven surfaces.

c. Ventilation

A forced ventilation system is preferably incorporated into each container 102 and 104 to prevent build up of an odorous and explosive atmosphere. That forced ventilation system includes an electric fan (not shown) that generates a pressure differential between the inside of each container 102 and 104 and the atmosphere so as to circulate air through each container 102 and 104 via louvers 152 provided therein. That process not only prevents dangerous gases from building up in the containers 102 and 104, it also removes heat to help cool the machinery located in the first container 102. A roof circular vent (not shown) may also be provided to allow heat to escape while preventing the ingress of water. If the electric fan fails, the ECU 118 will produce an alarm and initiate shutdown of the various components 106-128 of the REM apparatus 100.

d. Roof

The first container 102 and second container 104 may include radiator roofs that use flexible water piping 136A to heat water using the sun's energy. Because such standard containers have grooves formed in their roofs, the flexible water piping 136A can be laid out in those grooves. That water piping 136A will be is covered with a UV-protected plastic sheet to encapsulate heat and, in turn, heat the water within that piping 136A. Solar panels may also be placed on the roofs of the first container 102 and the second container to heat water and/or generate electricity using the sun's energy. That warm water and electricity can be used to support the operation of the other components 106-128 of the REM apparatus 100 (e.g., heating muck/waste and/or powering pumps 132A-132D and other electronics) and/or it can be used to supplement the heat and electricity generated with the biogas engine 122. Rain water may also be harvested from the roofs of the containers 102 and 104 for use in the chopper unit 106. The roofs may also include a lightning rod, or equivalent device, for protecting the containers 102 and 104 and their contents from lightning strikes.

ii. Chopper Unit 106

The chopper unit 106 is disposed at a distal end of the first container 102 and functions as the input facility for loading muck/waste deposits into the REM apparatus 100. As FIG. 2 illustrates, the chopper unit 106 includes a hopper 200, a mixing tank 202, and a homogenizing pump 204. The hopper 200 is formed as the opening of the chopper unit 106 to facilitate easier loading of muck/waste therein. The hopper 200 includes a pair of doors 206 that must be opened to load the chopper unit 102. Those doors 206 are accessible at the facia 140 of the first container 102 and are held closed with magnetic catches. The hopper 200 is preferably made from stainless steel or other corrosion resistant material (e.g., galvanized steel) because it is likely to be hit and scratched by shovels/spades or other loading equipment, and the doors 206 are preferably made of a durable transparent material (e.g., plexiglas) so a user can view the mixing/macerating process when the doors 206 are closed. Those doors 206 also provide a safety feature by preventing operation of the chopper unit 106 when they are opened, thereby preventing a user or a tool from being pulled into the mixing tank 202 by the homogenizing pump 204. That functionality is controlled by the ECU 118.

The chopper unit 106 also functions to homogenize the muck/waste that is moved into the mixing tank 202 via the hopper 200. Liquid (e.g., potable and/or grey water) is fed into the chopper unit 106 via water piping 136A and mixed with the muck/waste in the mixing tank 202 using the homogenizing pump 204 to re-circulate, macerate, and homogenize the liquid and muck/waste. The water/muck/waste mixture is chopped finely enough by the homogenizing pump 204 that it will not clog the waste valves 134B or the waste piping 136B of the REM apparatus 100 as it moves between the components 106-114 thereof. Liquid is pumped into the mixing tank 202 by a mixer feed pump 132A as required to provide the proper mixture of liquid and muck/waste in the mixing tank required for hydrolysis. That flow rate is controlled by the ECU 118 based on the amount of muck/waste deposited in the mixing tank 202. And the liquid is preferably grey water that is re-circulated from the de-watering unit 114 back into the mixing tank 202 in a regenerative manner to further add to the efficiency of the REM apparatus 100.

The mixing tank 202 is positioned below with hopper 200 so muck/waste is fed directly into the mixing tank 202 via the hopper 200. The mixing tank preferably includes an integrated stone trap 154 (FIG. 1E) to catch larger debris that that might clog the waste valves 134B or the waste piping 136B. The stone trap 154 will need to be discharged on regular basis determined after commissioning of the REM apparatus 100 and is therefore preferably accessibly via a access hatch in the facia 140. The chopper unit 106 can be sized to meet the output requirements of the user and/or the particular type(s) of muck/waste being processed. And because muck/waste types generally have high volume and low weight or high weight and low volume, the mixing tank 202 will have a visible level marker to which the mixing tank 202 can be filled with substantially any type of muck/waste without exceeding the limits of the REM apparatus 100.

The volume indicated by that level marker (e.g., 60 Liters) includes both the muck/waste loaded into the mixing tank 202 by the user and the liquid fed into the chopper unit 106 via the water piping 136A. The ECU 118 will automatically determine the appropriate amount of liquid to mix with the waste/muck based on the weight and type of the waste/muck. For example, very dry and/or dense waste/muck (e.g., horse manure) may require a dilution ratio up to 9:1, while wetter and/or less dense waste/muck (e.g., vegetable waste) may require a dilution ration of around 4:1. Because the dense waste/muck necessarily weighs less than the less dense waste muck, the resulting overall volume of water/waste/muck in the mixing tank 108 will be the same regardless of which of those types of waste/muck is placed therein (i.e., 15 kg horse manure and 45 kg of vegetable waste will both fill a 60 Liter volume when the proper amount of liquid is added). The type and/or weight of the waste/muck can be input into the ECU 118 by a user and/or automatically measured by the ECU 118, such as with an electronic scale, so the ECU 118 can determine the appropriate amount of liquid to mix with that waste/muck.

iii. Buffer Tank 108

The buffer tank 108 receives the water/muck/waste mixture from the chopper unit 106 and stores it before moving it to the small holding tanks 110. Because it is used for storage rather than just mixing, the buffer tank 108 is sized larger than the mixing tank 202 of the chopper unit 106. The water/muck/waste mixture is moved from the mixing tank 202 of the chopper unit 106 to the buffer tank 108 with the homogenizing pump 204 by opening one waste valve 134B and closing another so as to close the re-circulation loop and re-redirect the water/muck/waste mixture to the buffer tank 108. The opening and closing of those waste valves 134B is controlled by the ECU 118 based on predetermined cycle times.

The buffer tank 108 functions as a “buffer” for the small holding tanks 110 and large holding tank 112 by warming the water/muck/waste mixture before it is moved into the small holding tanks 110 and large holding tank 112. That warming is preferably performed by a heat exchanger 156 that is disposed in the buffer tank 108. The heat exchanger 156 receives heat energy by pumping the heated and partially pasteurized or digested water/muck/waste produced with the small holding tanks 110 through the heat exchanger 156 before depositing it into the large holding tank 112. That exchange of heat energy is essential not only to complete the pasteurization process when pasteurization is necessary, but also to reduce the temperature of the heated and partially pasteurized or digested water/muck/waste mixture to 35-40° C. before it is deposited in the large holding tank 112.

That heated and partially pasteurized or digested water/muck/waste is pumped by a digester feed pump 132B that is controlled by the ECU 118 and operates to feed the heated and partially pasteurized or digested water/muck/waste into the large holding tank 112. That operation not only serves to pre-heat the water/muck/waste mixture before moving it to the small holding tanks 110, it beneficially removes heat from the heated and partially pasteurized or digested water/muck/waste before moving it to the large holding tank 112. As discussed below, the heated and partially pasteurized or digested water/muck/waste is preferably cooled down to about 40° C. before being depositing into the large holding tank 112.

The waste piping 136B through which the pre-heated water/muck/waste is moved to the small holding tanks 110 is preferably fitted within the floor of the container 102 so the buffer tank 108 can be drained from the bottom and the small holding tanks 110 can be fed from the bottom. If space does not permit and the small holding tanks 110 must be fed from the top, the feed tubes preferably extend to the bottom of the buffer tank 108 and/or each small holding tank 110 so that the mixture will be withdrawn from the bottom of the buffer tank 108 and/or deposited in the bottom of the small holding tanks 110. The buffer tank 108 is preferably sized to allow continuous operation of the REM apparatus 100 for at least 2 days. And it is preferably made out of steel or fiberglass to reduce manufacturing costs.

iv. Small Holding Tanks 110

Returning to FIGS. 1A-1E, the pre-heated water/muck/waste is pumped from the buffer tank 108 to the small holding tanks 110 by a pasteurization feed pump 132C. That pump 132C operates on a predefined feeding cycle that is controlled by the ECU 118. In the small holding tanks 110, the pre-heated water/muck/waste is heated and stirred to produce pasteurization or, if pasteurization is not required for the overall anaerobic digestion process, to produce thermophilic anaerobic digestion. The pre-heated water/muck/waste in each small holding tank 110 is continuously stirred with a gas mixer 158 (FIG. 1E) to keep the solids and liquids in suspension during the pasteurization or thermophilic anaerobic digestion process. That mixture is heated with heaters 160 (FIG. 1E) capable of heating the mixture contained therein to around 55-75° C. The gas mixers 158 are pressurized with the compressor 128 and include nozzles that inject air directly into the bottom of each small holding tank 110 to promote aerobic thermophilic digestion, thereby supplementing the heating requirements during pasteurization. And the heaters 140 are either electric immersion heaters or water-based boiler-fed coil heaters that are disposed in the inside of the small holding tanks 110 so that the water/muck/waste mixture can be heated directly.

Each of the small holding tanks 110 has a relatively small volume (e.g., around 1,800 Liters) to reduce the energy required to heat the water/muck/waste disposed therein. Loads on the heaters 160 can be further reduced by recovering heat from the biogas engine 122 and/or the engines that drive the homogenizing pump 204, the de-watering unit 114, or any of the other pumps 132A-132D of the REM apparatus 100 in a regenerative manner so as to further increase the efficiency of the REM apparatus 100. And as discussed above, the small holding tanks 110 can be used to perform either pasteurization or thermophilic anaerobic digestion on the water/muck/waste disposed therein, depending on whether pasteurization is required for the overall anaerobic digestion process. If they are used to perform thermophilic anaerobic digestion, biogas will be generated in the small holding tanks 110 and similar precautions to those discussed below with respect to the large holding tank 112 will need to be taken (e.g., mixing the water/muck/waste with biogas instead of air, drawing off biogas to the gas storage tank, separating the small digester tanks 110 from machinery and electronics that may produce a spark, etc.). The small holding tanks 110 may also be used for other purposes, such as arresting the digestion process of the grey water in the liquor tank 126.

The small holding tanks 110 are operated in batch mode that includes offset cycles of feeding, holding, and discharge. For example, after the first small holding tank 110 is fed and filled with pre-heated water/muck/waste from the buffer tank 108, it will hold that pre-heated water/muck/waste while it is stirred and heated, as discussed above. The second small holding tank 110 will be fed and filled after the first small holding tank 110. The heated and partially pasteurized or digested water/muck/waste will then be discharged from first small holding tank 110 while the second small holding tank 110 holds, stirs, and heats the pre-heated water/muck/waste with which it was filled. And the heated and partially pasteurized or digested water/muck/waste will then be discharged from first second holding tank 110 while the second small holding tank 110 is filled with a new batch of pre-heated water/muck/waste from the buffer tank 108. Water/waste/muck is cycled through the small holding tanks 110 in that manner as required is repeated back and forth between the first and second digested tanks 110. The fill quantities are controlled by the ECU 118 using a set of level sensors (LS) in the small holding tanks 110. And although only two small holding tanks 110 are shown in FIGS. 1A-1E, the REM apparatus may use as many small holding tanks 110 are required to meet a user's processing demands.

The waste piping 136B through which the heated and partially pasteurized or digested water/muck/waste is moved to heat exchanger 136 in the buffer tank 108 is preferably fitted within the floor of the container 102 so that mixture can be fed up through the bottom of the buffer tank 108 so as to provide the proper temperature gradient (i.e., hottest on the bottom and coolest on the top) as the heated and partially pasteurized or digested water/waste/muck flows through the heat exchanger 156 in the buffer tank 108 and toward the large holding tank 112. Each small holding tank 110 is insulated to improve its efficiency. Preferably, the small holding tanks 110 are formed from PVC to reduce manufacturing costs and a “green” material, such as sheepswool, is used to form the insulation. The insulation can be formed in modular, interlocking pieces that can be connected together to surround the small holding tanks 110.

v. Large Holding Tank 112

The heated and partially pasteurized or digested water/muck/waste is pumped from the small holding tanks 110 to the large tank 112 by the digester feed pump 132B. Like the pasteurization feed pump 132C, the digester feed pump 132B operates on a predefined feeding cycle that is controlled by the ECU 118. Because the heated and partially pasteurized or digested water/muck/waste must be cooled to approximately 40° C. before it is deposited in the large holding tank 112, it passes through the heat exchanger 156 in the buffer tank 108 as it is pumped from the small holding tanks 110 to the large tank 112. The heated and partially pasteurized or digested water/muck/waste is cooled by passing its heat energy to the water/muck/waste mixture in the buffer tank 108 via the heat exchanger 156, as discussed above. In that manner, the heat energy expended to support pasteurization or thermophilic anaerobic digestion in the small holding tanks 110 is re-used in a regenerative manner, thereby further increasing the efficiency of the REM apparatus 100.

In the large holding tank 112, the pasteurized or cooled and partially digested water/muck/waste is stirred to produce mesophilic anaerobic digestion. Like the pre-heated water/muck/waste in each small holding tank 110, the pasteurized or cooled and partially digested water/muck/waste in the large holding tank 112 is continuously stirred with a gas mixer 158 (FIG. 1E) to keep the solids and liquids in suspension while biogas (e.g., methane and carbon dioxide) accumulates at the top of the large holding tank 112. However, unlike the pre-heated water/muck/waste in each small holding tank 110, which is stirred with compressed air from the compressor 128, the pasteurized or cooled and partially digested water/muck/waste in the large holding tank 112 is stirred by re-circulating biogas through the gas mixer 158 using a corrosive gas vacuum pump 162. In the absence of air, bacterial populations break down organic solids in the water/muck/waste mixture into biogas and more stable solids. Thus, biogas is used to stir the water/muck/waste instead of air because introducing oxygen into that mixture would create an explosive atmosphere. In the alternative, a mixing pump (not shown) could be used to mix the water/muck/waste mixture by intermittently circulating it within large holding tank 112.

The operating temperature of the large holding tank 112 is preferably between 32-40° C. Those lower temperatures allow the large holding tank 112 be have a greater volume (e.g., around 14,000 Liters) than the small holding tanks 110 because less energy is required to maintain those lower temperatures. In fact, the large holding tank 112 may need to be cooled instead of heated. To serve that purpose, the large holding tank 112 may be made as a dual layer tank so that cooling fluid (e.g., potable and/or grey water) can be circulated between the inner and outer shells to cool the water/muck/waste disposed in the inner shell. The use of a conductive material, such as steel, on the inside shell and an insulating material on the outside shell provide a suitable way of achieving that functionality.

In the alternative, the large holding tank 112 may be formed as a single tank using low cost fiber reinforced thermoforms. That material allows a plurality of large holding tanks 112 to be rapidly manufactured using inexpensive molds. That material is also flexible so the large holding tanks 112 will not break if dropped when full of liquid (e.g., 1.5 meters full moving at 20 kph). In either embodiment, the large holding tank 112 may be painted with conditioned nanotech carbon in the shape of a lotus leaf to repel bacteria and with silicates to prevent methane from tunneling/leaking through tank walls. The large holding tank 112 is preferably immune to two types of bacteria—anammox bacteria and methagenic bacteria, which are used to eat both ammonia and to break down carbon chains. The large holding tank 112 may also include a cathode and anode that harvest free electrons from the digestion process so that the large holding tank 112 can be used as a big battery for powering the REM apparatus 100 or for providing power to other apparatus. The small holding tanks 110 may be similarly constructed.

The large holding tank 112 operates on a “draw and fill” mode where a known quantity of water/muck/waste is drawn into the large holding tank 112 by the digester feed pump 132C until it is filled to a pre-determined level. The draw and fill quantities are controlled by the ECU 118 using a set of level sensors (LS) in the large holding tank 112. The feed flowrate of water/muck/waste to the large holding tank 112 is controlled by the ECU 118 such that it provides a minimum retention time of 15 days for the mesophilic anaerobic digestion process. And during the draw down process, biogas is preferably drawn back into the large holding tank 112 from the gas storage tank 120 to maintain an operating pressure of 15-20 mbar within the large holding tank 112.

The large holding tank 112 is sufficiently sealed to prevent gaseous oxygen from entering the system and hindering the anaerobic digestion process. The large holding tank 112 includes a safety relief valve 164 that vents outside of the first container 102 and releases pressure from the large holding tank 112 if that pressure approaches unsafe levels. The large holding tank 112 is also insulated to improve its efficiency. Preferably, the outside shell of the large holding tank 112 is formed of fiberglass to reduce manufacturing costs and a “green” material, such as sheepswool, is used to form the insulation. The insulation can be formed in modular, interlocking pieces that can be connected together to surround the large holding tank 112.

As mesophilic anaerobic digestion is performed in the large holding tank 112, biogas collects at the top of the large holding tank 112. Although the pneumatic pump re-circulates some of that biogas back into the water/muck/waste as part of the mixing operation, the remainder of the biogas is drawn from the large holding tank 112 and pumped through the gas scrubber 116 before being deposited in the gas storage tank 120. That biogas is preferably discharged from the large holding tank 112 at an operating pressure of 15-20 mbar. And after the mesophilic anaerobic digestion process is completed, the digested water/muck/waste mixture is pumped to the de-watering unit 114 by a sludge draw-off pump 132D that is controlled by the ECU 118 based on the retention time required for the mesophilic anaerobic digestion process.

Because methane and other combustible gases are generated in the large holding tank 112, it may be necessary to provide it in a separate container from some of the other components of the REM apparatus 100—in particular, those components that contain moving machinery and electronics that may generate a spark (e.g., the chopper unit 106, the de-watering unit 114, the biogas engine 122, the air compressor 128, the mixer feed pump 132A, the digester feed pump 132B, the pasteurization feed pump 132C, the sludge draw-off pump 132D, the gas vacuum pump 162, and the homogenizing pump 204). In the alternative, a container can be divided into separate spaces using air-tight bulkheads to separate the large holding tank 112 from the machinery and electronics of the REM apparatus 100. Such a separate container or container space will preferably provide full hazardous material and explosive atmosphere separation from the machinery and electronics of the REM apparatus 100 in accordance with local, national, and/or international standards, such as the European Union's Atmospheres Explosibles (ATEX) directive and Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations (DSEARs).

vi. De-Watering Unit 114 and Liquor Tank 126

The de-watering unit 114 removes liquids from the fully digested water/muck/waste to produce a compost bi-product and thickened digestate that can be used as solid and liquid fertilizers. As FIG. 3 illustrates, the de-watering unit 114 includes a de-watering tank 300 where the digested water/muck/waste is received from the large holding tank 112. The de-watering unit 114 also includes a conveyor tube 302 and an electric motor 304 for rotating a shaftless screw conveyor disposed within the conveyor tube 302. As it rotates, the screw conveyor transports the solid muck/waste from the water/muck/waste mixture in de-watering tank 300 up through the conveyor tube 302 and out through a spout 306 disposed at the upper end of the conveyor tube 302. That solid muck/waste can be collected in a bin placed below the spout on the loading platform 142 for use as solid fertilizer. And the remaining grey water, or liquor, in the de-watering tank 300 is then gravity fed into the liquor tank 126 for use as liquid fertilizer.

The de-watering unit 114 is disposed adjacent to the chopper unit 106 at the same end of the first container 102 so that the process of the present invention is completed at the same location it begins. Accordingly, the user can load muck/waste into the chopper unit 106 and extract the resulting solid fertilizer produced via the anaerobic digestion process at the same location. The liquor tank 126 is preferably disposed adjacent to the first container 102 at that same end for the same purpose. And although the anaerobic digestion process may take a few weeks to complete, after the first cycle is complete, there should be solid and liquid fertilizers ready to be extracted each time the user goes to load the chopper unit 106 with new muck/waste. The solid fertilizer may be mulch that is suitable for animal bedding. And at least a portion of the grey water may be re-circulated with the mixer feed pump 132A for mixture with muck/waste that is loaded into the mixing tank as required for hydrolysis. The re-circulation of the grey water with the mixer feed pump 132A is controlled by the ECU 118 by automatically operating that pump 132A and opening/closing the associated water valves 134A as required direct the flow of the grey water.

The liquor tank 126 is disposed adjacent to the first container 102 at a location near and below the de-watering tank 300 of the de-watering unit 114 so the solid fertilizer and liquid fertilizer produced with the de-watering unit 114 can be gravity fed into the liquor tank 126. To serve that purpose, the de-watering tank 300 is disposed on a base 308 that supports it at a location above the liquor tank 126. The liquor tank 116 is preferably made of PVC to reduce manufacturing costs. And although the liquor tank 126 is illustrated as being disposed adjacent to the first container 102, it may also be disposed inside the first container 102 in a similar relationship to the de-watering unit 114.

vii. Gas Scrubber 116

The gas scrubber 116, or de-sulphurization unit, is disposed between the large holding tank 112 and the gas storage tank 120. It is configured to clean the biogas extracted from the water/muck/waste in the large holding tank 112 before it is stored in the gas storage tank 120. The gas scrubber 116 may be any suitable type, such as an activated carbon filter or a compressed gas filter (e.g., an amine gas filter). The gas scrubber 116 is used to treat the biogas and refine it for use as fuel—namely by reducing the levels of hydrogen sulfide in the biogas. However, the gas scrubber 116 may not be needed if the biogas does not need to be treated, such as when it is not going to be used for fuel or does not contain prohibited levels of certain chemicals.

viii. Electronic Control Unit (ECU) 118

The flow of liquid (e.g., potable and/or grey water), muck/waste, and biogas through the REM apparatus 100 of the present invention is controlled by the ECU 118. As FIG. 4 illustrates, the ECU 118 includes a programmable logic controller (PLC) that is programmed to monitor, record, and control the various stages of the anaerobic digestion process (e.g., temperatures, volumes, and flow rates). It provides visual feedback of those operations to the user via a graphical user interface, such as a computer monitor or touchscreen. The ECU 118 automates the anaerobic digestion process by turning the various components 106-128 of the REM apparatus 100 on and off based on the values it monitors and records. The ECU 118 makes the determination as to which components 106-128 to turn on and off primarily based on the content of the muck/waste loaded into the REM apparatus 100, which can be detected with the appropriate sensors and/or can be input by a user via a user interface at the ECU 118.

For example, the ECU 118 will automatically operate the appropriate pumps 132A-132D, 204, and 162 and open/close the appropriate valves 134A-134C to pump the fully digested water/muck/waste from the large holding tank 112 to the de-watering unit 114 after it detects that the anaerobic digestion process is completed. The ECU 118 will automatically feed, hold, and discharge water/muck/waste from the small holding tanks 110 in batch mode based on levels detected with level switches (LS) and the times over which the water/muck/waste has been held in each small holding tank 110. The ECU 118 will determine whether or not to activate the heaters 160 in the small holding tanks 110 based on temperature sensors (TS) in each small holding tank 110. And the ECU 118 will automatically determine the flow rates and cycle times for moving the water/muck/waste between the different components 106-128 of the REM apparatus 100 by monitoring the anaerobic digestion process in its various stages using a clocking circuit, level sensors (LS) temperature sensors (TS), and pressure sensors (PS) located throughout the REM apparatus 100, thereby allowing the ECU 118 to adjust the anaerobic digestion process in real time as required to maintain optimal digestion.

The ECU 118 can determine such things as the amount of liquid to add to the muck/waste mixture and the amount of biogas expected to be produced from that muck/waste based on the answers to a series of questions presented to the user via the graphical user interface of the ECU 118. For example, the user could be asked to input a description of the site where the muck/waste was collected, the availability of services, waste/muck type (e.g., manure, vegetable waste, etc.), waste/muck quantities, the intended use of the mulch that will be produced, and the intended use of the grey water that will be produced. Thus, by allowing a user to input the answers to those questions for different batches of muck/waste loaded into the REM apparatus 100, the ECU 118 is able to customize the digestion process for each batch of muck/waste loaded into the REM apparatus 100. Some of those answers may also be obtained automatically by the ECU 118, such as using a scale provided on the chopper unit 106 or the loading platform 142 to weigh the muck/waste loaded into the REM apparatus 100.

The PLC of the ECU 118 is also programmed to monitor and maintain safety throughout the anaerobic digestion process. That monitoring not only allows close control of machinery and electrical equipment to prevent physical injury to users, it also allows close control the process parameters that are used as Hazard Assessment and Critical Control Parameters (HACCPs). For example, the ECU 118 monitors the biogas pressure in the gas storage tank 120 and the levels of water/muck/waste in the small holding tanks 110 and large holding tank 112 to make sure they are maintained at safe operating levels (e.g., a level sensor (LS) will be provided in the small holding tanks 110 and large holding tank 112 to ensure that the immersion heaters 160 are not trying to heat an empty tank). Alarms will sound if/when the volumes of biogas and/or volumes of water/muck/waste approach unsafe levels. The ECU 118 also includes a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) interface and/or Internet and wireless (e.g., GSM, GPRS, wifi, etc.) functionality for providing the user with remote monitoring capabilities for efficiency, diagnostics, operations, and safety. Preferably, the ECU 118 is provided at the same end of the first container 102 as the chopper unit 106, de-watering unit 114, and liquor tank 126 so the anaerobic digestion process can be controlled from the same location that muck/waste is loaded into the REM apparatus 100 and fertilizer is removed from the REM apparatus, thereby providing an added level of convenience to the user.

The ECU 118 includes a human-machine interface (HMI) for communicating with the various components 106-128, pumps 132A-132D, and valves 134A-134C of the REM apparatus 100. It also includes a cloud monitoring application for regionally monitoring the status of those components 106-128, pumps 132A-132D, and valves 134A-134C. Communication can be established with the ECU 118 via the SCADA interface and/or Internet and wireless functionality using substantially any computing device (e.g., personal computer, laptop computer, tablet computer, personal digital assistant (PDA), smart phone, etc.) so as to allow a user to remotely monitor, control, and troubleshoot the REM apparatus 100. For example, smart phone applications can communicate with the ECU 118 via a bus interface to a canbus node that communicates to low cost sensors and devices, such as those used in the automotive industry.

All of the interfaces for a user to input information into and otherwise control the operation of the ECU 118 are provide in the control box 148 located on the facia 140 of the first container 102 so the user can operate the different components 106-128 of the REM apparatus 100 from the same location where muck/waste is loaded into the REM apparatus 100 and solid and liquid fertilizers are removed from the REM apparatus 100, thereby adding an additional level of convenience to the user. The control box 148 and its associated interfaces are in electrical data communication with the ECU 118 via electrical wiring 138. Or in the alternative, they may be in wireless data communication with each other via any suitable, secure wireless functionality (e.g., GSM, GPRS, wifi, etc.).

The ECU 118 also provides a central source of power for the various components 106-128, pumps 132A-132D, and valves 134A-134C of the REM apparatus 100. It includes a miniature circuit breaker (MCB) for each of those components 106-128, pumps 132A-132D, and valves 134A-134C as well as light emitting diodes (LEDs) that indicate their respective status (e.g., “on”, “fault”, etc.). Those MCBs may are accessible via a breaker box 166 (FIG. 1A) disposed on the outside of the first container 102. The breaker box 166 is disposed on the outside of the first container 102 so that those MCBs can be easily accessed without needing to go into the container 102 where the risks of user injury are higher due to the amount of machinery housed therein. The other components of the ECU 118 are preferably disposed in an enclosure inside the first container 102 to provide better protection from the elements.

The power bus of the ECU 118 preferably receives its power from a 16 amp, 240 volt mains power supply. It may also receive its power from the biogas engine 122. And although FIG. 5 only shows four temperature sensors (TS) and seven “low” level switches (LS), the ECU 118 is connected to several other temperature sensors (TS) and level sensors (LS) to support its control of the REM apparatus 100. For example, the ECU 118 also includes at least seven “high” level sensors (LS) and at least three additional temperature sensors (TS). See, e.g., FIG. 1E. The ECU 118 may also be connected to other types of sensors, such as gas composition sensors, pressure sensors (PS), voltmeters, etc., as required to support its control of the REM apparatus 100. The wiring 138 of the ECU 118 and its various connections are compliant with the local, national, and/or international standards, such as those set forth in the Water Industry Mechanical and Electrical Specification (WIMES).

ix. Gas Storage Tank 120

After the biogas is extracted from the large holding tank 112, and after it is cleaned by the gas scrubber 116 (when cleaning is required), it is stored in the gas storage tank 120. As FIG. 5 illustrates, the gas storage tank 120 includes a flexible bladder 500 disposed inside a solid, double-walled tank 502. The double-walled tank 502 may be filled with liquid (e.g., potable and/or grey water) and constructed of a sufficiently strong material to withstand the high pressures associated with storing the biogas under pressure. The gas storage tank 120 includes a water inlet 504 and a water outlet (not shown) so the liquid can be pumped into and out of the double-walled tank 502 via water piping 136A to equalize and maintain a constant, fixed pressure of biogas in the flexible bladder 500. The gas storage tank 120 also includes a safety relief valve 168 that vents outside of the second container 104 and releases pressure in the flexible bladder 500 if that pressure approaches unsafe levels. Any surplus biogas that cannot be stored by the gas storage tank 120 is safely burned off with the flare 124 so as to prevent unsafe levels of pressure occurring. That flare 124 has a pilot light that is powered by a propane tank 170 provided in or adjacent to the first container 102.

To measure the volume of gas stored in the flexible bladder 500, a separate flow meter is provided at the inlet and outlet gas piping 136C of the gas storage tank 120. The difference between the readings at those flow meters is used by the ECU 118 to monitor the amount of gas stored in the gas storage tank 120. Also provided at the outlet gas piping 136C is a flow control valve 134C for controlling the flow of biogas from the gas storage tank 120 and a flame arrestor (not shown) for preventing a flame from propagating back through the flow control valve 134C into the gas storage tank 120. In that way, biogas can be extracted from the gas storage tank 120 as needed and used to generate heat, electricity, or any other form of gas-generated energy. One of the devices that is used to generate heat and electricity is the biogas engine 122.

Because methane and other combustible gases are stored in the gas storage tank 120, it may be necessary to provide it in a separate container 104 from some of the other components of the REM apparatus 100—in particular, those components that contain moving machinery and electronics that may generate a spark (e.g., the chopper unit 106, the de-watering unit 114, the biogas engine 122, the air compressor 128, the mixer feed pump 132A, the digester feed pump 132B, the pasteurization feed pump 132C, the sludge draw-off pump 132D, the gas vacuum pump 162, and the homogenizing pump 204). In the alternative, a container can be divided into separate spaces using air-tight bulkheads to separate the large holding tank 112 from the machinery and electronics of the REM apparatus 100. Such a separate container or container space will preferably provide full hazardous material and explosive atmosphere separation from the machinery and electronics of the REM apparatus 100 in accordance with local, national, and/or international standards, such as the European Union's ATEX directive and DSEARs.

x. Biogas Engine 122

The outlet gas piping 136C from the gas storage tank 120 is connected to the biogas engine 122, which simultaneously produces electricity and heat from the biogas via a combustion engine (e.g., an internal combustion engine or a Stirling engine). The biogas engine 122 is preferably a 3,600 kWh combined heat and power (CHP) unit. The CHP unit can be a modified diesel genset that burns biogas or a pyrolsis-based syngas/biogas burning steam engine (e.g., a sterling format or rotary piston engine that drives a generator directly).

Because the biogas engine 122 requires a specific input pressure to operate (e.g., 100 mbar), biogas is maintained in the gas storage tank 120 at that pressure using a booster fan 172. The electricity produced with the biogas engine 122 can be linked to the user's power grid and used to power household devices, such as lights and appliances. And the heat produced can be linked to the user's heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system and/or water heating system and used for space heating and/or water heating. The biogas engine 122 may also be used to power the various pumps 134A-134D, 204, and 162 of the REM apparatus, or any component 106-128 that runs on electricity, and to provide heat to the small holding tanks 110 to further improve the efficiency of the present invention.

To further the mobility of the REM apparatus 100, the biogas engine 122 is preferably provided on its own trailer. It is also preferably connected to the gas storage tank 120, the power bus of the ECU 118, and a user's power grid using standard connections.

xi. Flare 124

The flare 124 produces flame that burns surplus methane and/or propane to the European Union's particulate standard. The flare 124 includes a pilot light that is connected to the propane tank 170 via gas piping 134B to ensure that surplus biogas is instantly lit and remains lit so it does not gather in unsafe, combustible amounts in and/or around the REM apparatus 100. The flare may include two separate pilot lights—a first pilot light that burns methane and a second pilot light that burns propane. A piezoelectric lighter or an auto ignition system with visual flame detection may also be used and integrated with the functionality of the ECU 118 for automated triggering.

xii. Piping 136A-136C

a. Water Piping 136A

The water piping 136A may be any suitable low-pressure piping, such as PVC piping, for feeding liquid (e.g., potable and/or grey water) into the chopper unit 106. As FIG. 6 illustrates, the water piping 136A delivers potable water to the chopper unit 106 from an outside water source, such as a well or a local utility, and delivers grey water to the chopper unit 106 from the de-watering unit 114. To allow the REM apparatus 100 to be connected to an outside water source, the water piping 136A preferably includes a standard connector, such as a garden hose connector, at an inlet location on the outside of the first container 102.

As FIG. 6 also illustrates, the grey water from the de-watering unit 114 is circulated between the inner shell and outer shell of the large holding tank 112 and between the outer shell and the bladder of the gas storage tank 120 to aid in the cooling of the contents of the large holding tank 112 and the gas storage tank 120. The ECU 118 controls the amount of cooling provided as required to maintain the desired operating temperatures in the large holding tank 112 and the gas storage tank 120 by opening and closing the appropriate water valves 134A and operating the mixer feed pump 132A. And although FIG. 6 shows grey water being pumped through both the large holding tank 112 and the gas storage tank 120, one or both of those components 112 and 120 can be bypassed by opening and closing the appropriate water valves 134A.

b. Waste Piping 136B

The waste piping 136B provides a complex network that works its way around the fixed components 106-128 of the REM apparatus 100. Standard pipe lengths are used where possible to facilitate ease of manufacturing. The material used for the waste piping 136B is preferably HDPE. The properties of that material allow it to withstand chemical and biological attack, to withstand temperatures up to 137° C., and to withstand pressures up to 12 bar. Moreover, its insulating properties help further improve the efficiency of the REM apparatus 100. A standard drain connection is preferably provided on the outside of the first container 102 to facilitate connecting the waste piping 136B to a sump for draining the buffer tank 108, small holding tanks 110, large holding tank 112, liquor tank 126, mixing tank 202, and de-watering tank 300 as required to clean and maintain them.

As FIG. 6 also illustrates, the waste piping 136B delivers the water/muck/waste mixture to the buffer tank 108 before delivering it to the small holding tanks 110. Then, the heated and partially pasteurized or digested water/muck/waste mixture passes through the heat exchanger 156 in the buffer tank 108 as it is moved from the small digesters tanks 110 to the large holding tank 112. And after mesophilic anaerobic digestion is completed in the large holding tank 112, the fully digested water/muck/waste mixture is moved to the de-watering unit 114. The ECU 118 controls the amounts water/muck/waste moved between those components 106-114 as required to optimize the anaerobic digestion process by opening and closing the appropriate waste valves 134B and operating the digester feed pump 132B, the pasteurization feed pump 132C, the sludge draw-off pump 132D, and the homogenizing pump 204. And although FIG. 6 shows the heated and partially pasteurized or digested water/muck/waste mixture being pumped through the heat exchanger 156 in the buffer tank 108, the heat exchanger 156 can be bypassed by opening and closing the appropriate waste valves 134B.

c. Gas Piping 136C

The gas piping 136C is preferably stainless steel due to the corrosive properties of elements within biogas. For example, there may be H₂S (Hydrogen Sulphide) in the biogas. Stainless steel piping does not react with that medium. And as FIG. 7 illustrates, the gas piping 136C forms two separate loops. The first loop circulates air through the small holding tanks 110 with the compressor 128 to stir the water/muck/waste in the small holding tanks 110. And the second loop circulates biogas through the large holding tank 112 with the gas vacuum pump 162 to stir the water/muck/waste in the large holding tank 112. The first loop is an “open” loop because it allows the introduction of air into the small holding tanks 110, and the second loop is a “closed” loop because it only utilizes the biogas already in the large holding tank 112.

The second loop also moves biogas from the large holding tank 112 to the gas storage tank 120 after scrubbing it with the gas scrubber 116. From the gas storage tank 120, the scrubbed biogas is moved to the biogas engine 122 using a booster fan 172 to maintain the biogas at the operating pressure required for the biogas engine 122. Any surplus biogas that cannot be stored by the gas storage tank 120 is safely burned off with the flare 124 so as to prevent unsafe levels of pressure occurring. And as discussed above, biogas may be circulated back into the large holding tank 112 to maintain the desired operating pressure therein during the draw down process. The ECU 118 controls the amounts of biogas moved between those components 112, 116, 120, and 122 as required to perform those operations by opening and closing the appropriate gas valves 134C and operating the gas vacuum pump 162 and the booster fan 172. And although FIG. 7 shows biogas being circulated back into the large holding tank through the gas scrubber 116, the gas scrubber 116 can be bypassed to perform that operation by opening and closing the appropriate gas valves 134C while the gas vacuum pump 162 is run in reverse. And although FIG. 7 shows two separate loops, those loops may be interconnected as required to recover biogas from the small holding tanks 110.

xiii. Exhaust Stacks 174

To contend with the potentially bothersome odors generated by the anaerobic digestion process, the buffer tank 108, small holding tanks 110, de-watering unit 114, and liquor tank 126 are each provided with an exhaust stack 174 with a filter element. The filter element preferably utilizes organic filtering material, such as a combination of steel wool and ferns, to remove potentially bothersome odors from the gases generated in those components 108, 110, 114, and 126. And the exhaust stacks 174 preferably extend through the roof of the first container 102 so as to vent those gases outside of the first container 102. As discussed above, the large holding tank 112 does not include an exhaust stack 174 because the biogas generated therein is highly combustible. Accordingly, that biogas is either stored in the gas storage tank 120 or burned off by the flare 124.

B. Method for Renewable Energy Microgeneration

The components 106-128 of the REM apparatus 100 are best described as forming separate nodes in the anaerobic digestion process. At node 1, the chopper unit 106 receives muck/waste (e.g., feedstocks) of variable solids contents that have to be diluted down to about 8-10% total solids and a ratio of about 1:4 of waste/muck to dilution liquid (e.g., potable or grey water). Dilution is achieved by adding the recycled grey water recovered from the fully digested water/muck/waste using the de-watering unit 114 at node 6. Potable water can also be added from an outside source as required, such as when the REM apparatus 100 is first commissioned. The ECU 118 controls the dilution process based on measurements obtained with level sensing equipment.

After the required amount of dilution liquid (e.g., potable and/or grey water) is added to the muck/waste in the mixing tank 202, the homogenizing pump 204 macerates the water/muck/waste mixture to obtain the desired viscosity. That process should take only a few minutes a day, after which, there should be a sufficient amount of homogenized water/muck/waste to begin pasteurization and digestion. The homogenizing pump 204 is preferably configured to process 0.5 metric tons of waste/muck an hour. And as discussed above, the REM apparatus 100 can be sized using modular components are required to process user-specific daily amounts of muck/waste.

At node 2, the water/muck/waste mixture produced at node 1 is transferred into the buffer tank 108 for pre-heating. The buffer tank 108 includes a heat exchanger 156 that cools the heated and partially pasteurized or digested water/muck/waste produced during pasteurization in the small holding tanks 110 at node 3 while warming the water/muck/waste mixture produced with at node 1. The heat energy lost by the heated and partially pasteurized or digested water/muck/waste during cooling is transferred to the water/muck/waste mixture in the buffer tank 108 to warm it from its ambient temperature before it is moved to the small holding tanks 110. That process allows the water/muck/waste mixture going into the large digester to be at 35-40° C. so as to avoid thermal shock to mesophilic bugs in the large holding tank 112 at node 4. It also pre-heats the water/muck/waste mixture produced at node 1 so that less load is placed on the heaters 160 in the small holding tanks 110 at node 3, where the water/muck/waste mixture is heated to at least 70° C.

At node 3, the small holding tanks 110 use a gas mixer 158 to mix the water/muck/waste mixture with air, which allows bugs to use oxygen to heat up the water/muck/waste mixture during pasteurization. The contents of those small holding tanks 110 are also warmed with internal heaters 160 to an operating temperature of approximately 70° C. for a minimum of 60 minutes. That can be adjusted as required to optimize pasteurization using a SCADA system connected to the ECU 112 via the SCADA interface. Two or more small holding tanks 110 are preferably provided so that the bugs therein can be quickly and easily cycled through those tanks with feed, hold, and discharge steps. The feed and discharge steps would be more time consuming and difficult with larger tanks. Moreover, the load on the heaters 160 would be greater in larger tanks.

After pasteurization in the small holding tanks 110 is completed, the heated and partially pasteurized or digested water/muck/waste is moved to the large holding tank 112 for mesophilic anaerobic digestions and biogas recovery at nodes 4 and 5, respectively. As discussed above, that heated and partially pasteurized or digested water/muck/waste is cooled to 35-40° C. by the heat exchanger 156 in the buffer tank 108 at node 2 before it is deposited in the large holding tank 112 until a predetermined fill level is reached. In the large holding tank 112, the pasteurized or cooled and partially digested water/muck/waste is continuously stirred with the gas stirrer 158 by re-circulating the biogas generated during mesophilic anaerobic digestion back into the water/muck/waste. The feed flowrate to the large holding tank 112 is such that it provides a minimum retention time of 15 days. The temperatures and times at which the water/muck/waste is held in the small holding tanks 110 and large holding tank 112 is controlled by the ECU 118 so as to operate within the pertinent HACCPs and to comply with local, national, and/or international standards, such as U.S. EPA regulation 40 C.F.R. 503.32.

The biogas generated during mesophilic anaerobic digestion at node 4 is removed from the large holding tank 112 and placed in the gas storage tank 120 at node 5. That biogas is moved to the gas storage tank 120 by the gas vacuum pump 162 as it is being generated by the mesophilic anaerobic digestion. And after that process is complete, what remains of the water/muck/waste mixture is output to the de-watering unit 114 at node 6. As the large holding tank 112 is being drawn down in that manner, biogas is moved from the gas storage tank 120 back into the large holding tank 112 so as to maintain an operating pressure of 15-20 mbar in the large holding tank 112 during that draw-down process. Then, as the large holding tank 110 is being filled with the next batch of pasteurized or cooled and partially digested water/muck/waste at node 4, the biogas is moved back into the gas storage tank 120 at node 5.

At node 6, the fully digested water/muck/waste drawn from the large holding tanks 110 is pumped into the de-watering unit 114 for de-watering. The fully digested water/muck/waste undergoes pre-filtration by passing it through fine mesh to aid in the separation process. The fully digested water/muck/waste may also undergo desulfurization hydrogen sulphide scrubbing, or sweetening, in the de-watering tank 300. And coagulant may be added to aggregate suspended solids in the fully digested water/muck/waste so that they fall to the bottom of the de-watering tank 300, thereby leaving a top layer of cleaned “grey” water, or liquor, that is re-circulated back into the chopper unit 106 with the mixer feed pump 134B. The bacteria in the grey water can also be used as a feedstock, so it may also be gravity fed to the liquor tank 126 for storage at node 7.

The solids that fall to the bottom of the de-watering tank 300 form a thickened layer of organic fertilizer. The electric motor 304 of the de-watering unit 114 rotates the shaftless screw conveyor disposed within the conveyor tube 302 to transport that thickened layer of organic, solid fertilizer up through the conveyor tube 302 and out through the spout 306 disposed at the upper end of the conveyor tube 302, where it drops into a bin placed below the spout on the loading platform 142. The solid fertilizer, or mulch, collected in that bin is preferably 75 to 85% dry as a result of that process. And the resulting solid and liquid fertilizers produced by the digestion process will preferably be pathogen free.

C. Modular Configurations

Although only two containers 102 and 104 are discussed with respect to the exemplary embodiments of the apparatus and method disclosed above, the components 106-128 of the REM apparatus 100 can be separated into as many different containers 102 as are required to suit the particular application. For example, a processing container could house the chopper unit 106, the buffer tank 108, the de-watering unit 114, and the ECU 118; a digestion container could house the small holding tanks 110, the large holding tank 112, and the gas scrubber 114; a CHP container could house the biogas engine 122; a liquor storage container could house one or more liquor storage tanks 126; and a gas storage container could house one or more gas storage tanks 120. In that configuration, the processing container would process all of the muck/waste and water/muck/waste before and after the anaerobic digestion process; the digestion container would perform the pasteurization or thermophilic anaerobic digestion, the mesophilic anaerobic digestion, and the biogas scrubbing; and the gas storage container would perform all of the biogas storage. One or more digestions containers could thereby be added to the processing container and gas storage container until the processing capacity of processing container and/or the storage capacity of the gas storage container was reached. Accordingly, those containers are preferably interconnected using standardized piping 136A-136C and wiring 138 (e.g., prefabricated piping sections and wiring harnesses) to allow them to be connected in a modular manner, thereby allowing expansion of the REM apparatus 100 to suit substantially any throughout requirement.

By way of more specific example, if the chopper unit 106 in each processing container can process 0.5 metric tons of waste/muck an hour, a user that wants to process 6 metric tons of waste/muck in a 8-hour day could obtain two processing containers and configure them to operate in unison, thereby allowing that user to process that amount of waste/muck over a 6-hour period. Similarly, two processing containers could be provided to process 24 metric tons of waste/muck in a 24-hour period. Those two processing containers could then be connected to a corresponding number of digestion containers in a daisy chain configuration using the aforementioned standardized piping 136A-136C and wiring 138.

Because the anaerobic digestion process typically requires a ratio of about 1:4 of waste/muck to dilution liquid (e.g., potable and/or grey water), processing 6 metric tons of waste/muck a day will produce approximately 30 tons of water/waste/muck mixture (6 metric tons waste/mulch+(4×6) metric tons dilution liquid=30 metric tons water/waste/muck mixture). And, because the digestion process in the large holding tanks 110 will take approximately twenty-one days, approximately 630 metric tons (˜630 m³) of storage will be required to allow a continuous cycle of waste/muck to be processed at a rate of 6 metric tons per day (30 metric tons/day×21 days/digestion cycle=630 metric tons/digestion cycle). Thus, twelve digestion containers, each having four 1,800 Liter small holding tanks and two 14,000 Liter large digestion tanks 112, would be needed to digest 30 metric tons of water/waste/muck mixture in that 21-day period, as illustrated in FIG. 8.

That 6-ton per day solution is estimated to create 600 m³ of biogas at 55-60 percent methane. In such a large capacity process, two gas storage containers would need to be provided to store that biogas and at least two CHP containers would need to be provided to convert that biogas into heat and/or electricity, as also illustrated in FIG. 8. Preferably, at least three biogas engines 122 will be provide between those two CHP containers so that two biogas engines 122 can be used to burn the biogas and the third can be used as a back-up.

Also in that 6-ton per day configuration, two liquor storage containers would be needed to store the grey water removed from the fully digested water/muck/waste after anaerobic digestion is complete. A mulch storage container may also be provided for storing the solid fertilizer generated from the fully digested water/muck/waste after the grey water is removed. Those additional containers are also illustrated in FIG. 8.

Each of the processing containers, digestion containers, CHP containers, liquor storage containers, gas storage containers, and mulch storage containers discussed above is preferably a standard 20-foot container. If a larger capacity of processing is required, 40-foot containers may also be used. And, if 40-foot containers are not suitable, modular custom containers can be used to suite the required capacity. Those custom containers can be assembled on site from pre-formed insulated concrete or metal panels. The custom containers can be erected on a concrete slab that is poured on site by wiring or bolting the pre-formed panels together. The custom containers can be squared, can have rounded edges, can have a domed roof, or any other suitable configuration.

The large holding tanks 112 can be formed in a substantially similar manner if required. By way of example, if 24 metric tons of waste/muck is desired to be processed in a day, two processing containers can be provided with three custom large holding tanks 112 formed as described above—two for storing the water/waste/muck mixture during the digestion process and one for holding that mixture if/when a problem occurs with one of the other large holding tanks.

By making the processing containers, digestion containers, CHP containers, liquor containers, gas storage containers, and mulch storage containers of the present invention modular, an REM apparatus 100 can be put together from those containers to suit substantially any application. Thus, instead of having to build a new and different waste treatment plant for every application, the REM apparatus 100 of the present invention can be sized to suit. Moreover, by separating the components 106-114 in the processing containers and the biogas engines 122 in the CHP containers from the small holding tanks 110, large holding tanks 112, and gas storage tanks 120, the potential danger of accidentally igniting the biogas generated and/or stored in those tanks is avoided.

D. Summary

In summary, the present invention provides a novel solution to waste disposal problems while providing a sustainable source of energy. After the present invention is installed, all the user needs to do is load his or her waste into the apparatus and the system will process the waste to produce heat, biogas, electricity, and fertilizer. And after only a few weeks of use, the user will have a continuous supply of electricity. The present invention provides at least the following advantages: 1) it generates electricity from horse muck year round; 2) it converts septic waste into hot water and/or heat; 3) it eliminates the cost of disposal, unsightly muck heaps, and smelly septic systems; and 4) it generates useful bi-products, including solid and liquid fertilizers.

The REM apparatus 100 is an automated plant that requires no intervention except daily feeding with muck/waste. The embodiment of FIGS. 1A-1E is capable of processing 400 kg of muck/waste (e.g., feedstock) per day, which is digested over 15 days to produce about 2,000 Liters of biogas and a pasteurized mulch product that meets or exceeds the PAS 110 quality protocol. The grey water, or liquor, also meets or exceeds that quality protocol. The REM apparatus 100 is also designed to process muck/waste at temperatures and times within the pertinent HACCPs and that comply with U.S. EPA regulations (e.g., 40 C.F.R. 503.32). As discussed above, the ECU 118 is programmed to control those temperatures and times. And proper separation of components 106-128 is provided as required to comply with the European Union's ATEX directive and DSEARs.

The apparatus and method of the present invention are particularly suited for processing waste/much such as organic and septic waste, including but not limited to various types of farm animal manure (e.g., horse, cow, pig, and chicken manure); meat, blood, and other slaughterhouse waste; garden and agricultural green waste; food preparation and kitchen waste; wasted/leftover/spoiled food; and septic tank contents. That muck/waste is digested with a mix of bacteria in an anaerobic digestion process to produce biogas (e.g., methane and carbon dioxide), and what remains of the muck/waste after that process is separated into a dry mulch and a liquid fertilizer. The biogas can be combusted in a CHP unit to generate heat and electrical power; the mulch can be used as animal bedding; and the liquid fertilizer can be used to put back into the soil to increase its nutrient content and fertility. Moreover, excess electricity generated with the CHP can be sold back to the national grid.

The foregoing description and drawings should be considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. The invention may be configured in a variety of shapes and sizes and is not intended to be limited by the preferred embodiment. Numerous applications of the invention will readily occur to those skilled in the art. For example, the mixers 138 may comprise rotational mechanical stirring devices rather than air nozzles and the biogas engine 122 may be a biogas generator rather than a CHP. Therefore, it is not desired to limit the invention to the specific examples disclosed or the exact construction and operation shown and described. Rather, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention. 

1. A renewable energy microgeneration apparatus comprising: a portable processing container comprising: a mixing tank for mixing waste with a liquid, a macerating pump in fluid communication with the mixing tank that is configured to macerate the waste into smaller pieces, a plurality of small holding tanks in fluid communication with the mixing tank that are configured to perform at least one of a pasteurization thermophilic anaerobic digestion on the waste, a large holding tank in fluid communication with the plurality of small holding tanks that is configured to perform mesophilic anaerobic digestion on the waste after at least one of a pasteurization thermophilic anaerobic digestion is performed on the waste, and a de-watering unit in fluid communication with the large holding tank that is configured to dry what remains of the waste after mesophilic anaerobic digestion is performed on the waste; a controller for automating the flow of the waste between the mixing tank, the plurality of small holding tanks, the large holding tank, and the de-watering unit such that a user does not need to complete any tasks for performing mesophilic anaerobic digestion after the waste is loaded into the mixing tank; and a portable gas storage container comprising a gas storage tank that is configured to store biogas generated by the mesophilic anaerobic digestion, wherein the portable processing container and the portable gas storage container are configured to be transported to a site and placed in fluid communication with each other so the gas storage tank can store biogas generated by mesophilic anaerobic digestion in the processing container at the site.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a biogas engine in fluid communication with the gas storage tank for converting the biogas into at least one of electricity and heat.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a gas scrubber in fluid communication with the gas storage tank and the biogas engine that is configured to treat the biogas and refine it for use as fuel by the biogas engine.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a flare in fluid communication with the gas storage tank that is configured to safely burn off excess biogas.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a buffer tank in fluid communication with the mixer tank and the small holding tanks that is configured to pre-heating the waste before the waste reaches the small holding tanks.
 6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the buffer tank includes a heat exchanger for pre-heating the waste.
 7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein each of the small holding tanks includes a heater configured to heat the waste from a pre-heated temperature to a warmer temperature.
 8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the heat exchanger is in fluid communication with the small holding tanks and the large holding tank; and the waste in the buffer tank is heated by waste at the warmer temperature as the waste at the warmer temperature is moved from the small holding tanks to the large holding tank.
 9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the large holding tank and the gas storage tank is formed with an inner portion and an outer portion; and liquid removed from the waste by the de-watering unit is passed between the inner portion and the outer portion to cool at least one of waste and biogas stored within the inner portion.
 10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the liquid removed from the waste by the de-watering unit is returned to the mixing tank and mixed with a new batch of waste as it passes between the inner portion and the outer portion of at least one of the large holding tank and the gas storage tank.
 11. A process for renewable energy microgeneration comprising the steps of: transporting a portable processing container and a portable gas storage container to a site, the portable processing container having a mixing tank, a macerating pump, a plurality of small holding tanks, a large holding tank, a de-watering unit and a controller disposed therein, and the portable gas storage tank having a gas storage tank disposed therein; mixing waste with a liquid in the mixing tank; macerating the waste into smaller pieces with a macerating pump; performing at least one of pasteurization and thermophilic anaerobic digestion on the waste with the plurality of small holding tanks; performing mesophilic anaerobic digestion on the waste with large holding tank after at least one of pasteurization and thermophilic anaerobic digestion is performed with the plurality of small holding tanks; drying what remains of the waste after mesophilic anaerobic digestion is performed on the waste with the de-watering unit; storing biogas generated by the mesophilic anaerobic digestion in the gas storage tank; automating the flow of the waste between the mixing tank, the plurality of small holding tanks, the large holding tank, and the de-watering unit with the controller such that a user does not need to complete any tasks for performing mesophilic anaerobic digestion after the waste is loaded into mixing tank.
 12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of converting the biogas into at least one of electricity and heat with a biogas engine.
 13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of treating the biogas and refining it for use as fuel by the biogas engine.
 14. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step burning off excess biogas with a flare.
 15. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of pre-heating the waste in a buffer tank before placing the waste in the small holding tanks.
 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of pre-heating the waste is performed with a heat exchanger disposed in the buffer tank.
 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of performing at least one of pasteurization and thermophilic anaerobic digestion on the waste includes heating the waste from a pre-heated temperature to a warmer temperature.
 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of pre-heating the waste with the heat exchanger includes passing the waste at the warmer temperature through the heat exchanger as the waste at the warmer temperature is moved from the small holding tanks to the large holding tank.
 19. The method of claim 11, wherein at least one of the large holding tank and the gas storage tank is formed with an inner portion and an outer portion; and the method further includes the step of passing liquid removed from the waste by the de-watering unit between the inner portion and the outer portion to cool at least one of waste and biogas stored within the inner portion.
 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of passing the liquid removed from the waste though the inner portion is performed while returning that liquid to the mixing tank for mixing with a new batch of waste. 